


Broken Promises

by Higgles123



Series: Tommy Shelby one shots [6]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 21:40:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21043199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higgles123/pseuds/Higgles123





	Broken Promises

The phone dropped from your hand, shattering to the ground in the same way that your heart had shattered at that very moment. The blood inside your ears was pounding and swooshing, disorienting you. Somewhere behind you, you can hear Frances’ concerned voice but you couldn’t make out a single word she said. The only words you could hear were the ones buzzing around your head. The ones spoken in an Irish accent that even though they were faceless, you were certain they belonged to the Devil.

They have your daughter. Whoever _they_ are. They have your beautiful baby girl and unless Tommy does as they say, she won’t return. At least not alive. At the thought of harm befalling even one hair on her precious head, bile arose in your throat and you swallowed it down with difficulty.

Your knees buckled and you let out a sob as you fell to the ground. You bit on your hand, trying to desperately to stifle the cry as well as to feel something that isn’t that of your heart breaking into a thousand pieces. You’re not certain how long you’ve sat there, moaning and wailing. Rocking backwards and forwards, lost in a sorrowful world of your own, you felt as though you were in a nightmare. The kind where you’re being chased and no matter how fast you try and run, your legs just don’t move fast enough. Except this wasn’t a nightmare. You weren’t going to open your eyes to find yourself safe and sound in bed. This was real and this was hell on earth.

Out of nowhere, you felt a strong pair of hands lift you up and the smell of musk and lingering tobacco wafted up your nostrils. It’s funny how the smell that usually you acquainted with the safety and protection of your husband was now acquainted with only hurt and hatred. Tommy had done many things over the years; things with business and his family that you didn’t agree with, but never once had you hated him. Except for now. You met his eyes and he didn’t even need to speak words of guilt or apology. His own eyes said them for him. But you weren’t interesting in apologies; spoken or otherwise. Apologies weren’t going to bring your daughter back. They weren’t going to stop her from feeling alone and frightened wherever the goddamn hell she was now.

Like a woman possessed, you launched yourself at Tommy; clawing, screaming, punching, slappinhg. Not once did he try and stop you. He stood there and took it; welcoming it in fact. His heartbroken gaze eating into your grieving soul. But still you couldn’t find sympathy for him. Not this time. How many times had he promised you that no matter what, he would always keep Evelyn safe? Never once had you doubted the truth of his words. When they left this morning for the horse fair, you had not one inkling of worry because your trust in him both as a husband and a father had been unwavering.

When you felt Arthur pull you away and whisper soothingly in your ear, you tried to fight him but it was futile. You were emotionally exhausted from your outburst and you would have fallen to your knees once again if your brother-in-law hadn’t have kept tight hold.

“She was out of our sight for just a second,” Tommy whispered, his face now as unreadable as always. And for some reason, that enraged you all the more. How was it that he could stand there so stoically as if he wasn’t in the greatest agony known to mankind?

“I don’t care,” you spat angrily, your eyes blazing with fury. “They’ve got my fucking daughter and it’s all your fucking fault.”

“Come on sweetheart,” Arthur murmured, pulling you into his chest and stroking your hair gently.

“They’ve got my baby,” you moaned pitifully, the sound resonating through the quiet room hauntingly.

“I know, love,” Arthur crooned. “We’ll get her back, I promise. We’ll get her back and they’ll pay.”

You felt a cold glass at your lips and begrudgingly drank the whiskey while Arthur nodded reassuringly at you. You grimaced at the cold amber liquid, it’s taste tart and a little different than usual. Your eyelids felt heavy and started to droop. You looked up at Arthur questioningly and almost a little hurt.

“It’s for the best, sweetheart,” he kissed your forehead before darkness took hold of you.

…………………………………………………………………………………..

“And then Michael said we were going home and our adventure was all finished.”

You groaned as you came to. Your head felt like a ten tonne weight. It was like the hangover from hell except you were certain you hadn’t been drinking.

Suddenly it hit you, and your face contorted in agony as you remembered Evelyn was gone.

“So on the way home, Michael told me if I was really good he would buy me a new dress for my dolly.”

You frowned as you heard Evelyn’s chirpy little voice chattering away happily. This was a hallucination. It had to be. But when you opened your eyes, she was there. Sat at the end of the bed with her father, playing with her doll and eating a piece of jam on toast as though she hadn’t a care in the world.

Tommy noticed you first. He didn’t know what to say to you. He couldn’t even look at you. He didn’t know how you would react to anything he said.

“Evie-pie, Mama’s awake,” he smiled down at your daughter.

“Mummy!” She bounced across the bed and into your arms, knocking the breath out of you. Tears poured out from your eyes the second you felt her soft skin and breathed in the familiar scent of her dark hair. Her chubby toddler arms were wrapped around your neck, squeezing for dear life and you wished for her to never let go.

“Why are you sad, Mummy?” She peered into your face and frowned.

“I’m not sad, poppet. I’m very happy,” you reassured her, kissing her beautiful button nose and then her rosy cheeks. “Mummy missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” she smiled. “But I went on an adventure. Michael said it was a game and he was the winner because he found me. Isn’t that good?”

“Yes, my darling,” you sniffed, stroking her hair.

She squeezed you again and kissed your cheek before heading back towards the end of the bed for her jam on toast, licking the jam and giggling when it went on her nose.

“Why don’t you go and sit over by the window and watch out for that robin you like?” Tommy suggested. “I need to have a little talk with Mama.”

“You want to kiss her, don’t you?” she giggled.

“Why would I want to kiss Mama when I can kiss you?” he growled, pretending to eat the jam off of her nose and making her squeal in delight. “Now of you pop before I eat that nose and you won’t be able to stop me.”

Tommy climbed up the bed and sat down beside you. He lit a cigarette and inhaled it a few times before he eventually looked at you.

“I know you hate me and I don’t blame you,” he murmured.

“I don’t hate you,” you croaked. And you didn’t. You loved this man with every fibre of your being.

“I hate myself,” he admitted. “I hate myself for thinking that I was good enough to protect my family from anything.”

“You couldn’t have foreseen this,” you whispered.

It’s funny how only hours ago you had been ready to kill him in your blind despair. But now that your daughter was home safe and sound, you couldn’t find it in your heart to be mad anymore. What was the point?

“I should have,” Tommy clenched his jaw. “I always knew they might try and get to me through you two, but I was arrogant enough to believe I could protect you. And now I’m not sure I can ever do that.”

“Listen to me, Thomas Shelby. The pitying act doesn’t suit you. It’s not the man I married and it’s not the man I fell in love with.”

“Yes but the man you fell in love promised to protect you always. And I failed. You know, when we left for the fair, I knew they would be watching. But I didn’t care. In fact, I welcomed it because I thought I was fucking untouchable. But I’m not. And Evelyn nearly paid the ultimate price.”

“But she didn’t. She’s here isn’t she? She’s alive.”

“Yeah, thanks to fucking Michael.”

“That’s by the by,” you told him, grabbing his face and kneeling up. “She’s here and we’re never going to let her out of our sight ever again.”

“Neither of you are ever going to be out of my sight again.”

“That’s a bit extreme,” you giggled, pushing him playfully against his chest. You kissed him sweetly on the lips before swinging your legs out of bed and pulling on your dressing gown.

“What are you doing?” you frowned as Tommy stood up to follow you.

“I just told you. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

“You’re not following me while I go for a pee. That’s bloody ridiculous.”

“Just watch me,” Tommy was deadly serious.

You made it to the door before turning around and eyeing him cockily. “Well, if you’re insistent on following, who’s gonna stay with Ev?”

You chuckled heartily as Tommy’s face fell. And he could still hear you laughing all the way down the hallway. 


End file.
